by Michelle Wilkinson

Created on: May 07, 2009

Unless an individual is morbidly obese the chances are that the average person trying to lose weight will not be able to lose 10 pounds in a week. Time and time again we are told that crash diets don't work, and yet people still choose to embark on them, but why? Mainly it is because people want to believe that they can lose all their excess weight within a matter of weeks. This is an important factor in many people's considerations as they don't believe they have the willpower to last beyond such a short period of time. They want to be able to see results straightaway and are prepared to virtually starve themselves to achieve weight loss if they don't have to wait long to achieve it. The reality, though, is that even if they are able to follow a rigid calorie-controlled diet for long enough to lose weight, they are going to end up putting it all back on sooner rather than later, anyway.

It might seem like a quick and easy way to lose weight by drastically reducing your calorie intake, but it simply messes up your metabolism since your body doesn't know when it is going to be fed and desperately holds on to the calories which do find their way into your body. You may achieve substantial weight loss when you are consuming very few calories, but as soon as you start to eat normally again, you will quickly regain the weight you lost. Your metabolism will have slowed down, and will not burn calories as efficiently as before you started a crash diet, and the calories will be stored as fat. It is unsurprising to note that many people who follow these diets end up putting on more weight than they lost in the first place. Unfortunately, many people find their weight yo-yos as they alternate between crash diets and their usual eating habits.

Individuals who continually veer between virtual starvation and excessive eating are not doing their health any favours. Fad diets not only affect people's metabolism; their vital organs may come under increasing strain as you can lose the lean tissue around them. You won't be getting the vitamins and minerals you require to stay healthy, and so you will feel lethargic, whilst your sleeping patterns may be disturbed. Individuals who follow fad diets tend to find that their mental health suffers, as they are less able to concentrate, are more likely to be depressed, and often find themselves craving food which can in itself lead them to binge.

Fad diets seem to offer people the opportunity to lose weight extremely quickly, but the reality is different when the weight that is lost is comprised mainly of muscle and water rather than fat. Crash diets are not a healthy way to lose weight, but people choose to follow them out of desperation. There are more effective ways for people to learn to control their eating and exercise habits, though, without resorting to crash dieting. It might take longer to lose weight, but at least the weight has a better chance of staying off. If people want to succeed at weight loss they need to consider the long term rather than setting themselves ridiculous targets such as losing 10 pounds in a week.

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